Aurora Borealis
Tonight, June 1, 2025, Portland residents have an extraordinary opportunity to witness the northern lights—also known as the aurora borealis—thanks to a rare and intense geomagnetic storm currently hitting Earth. This phenomenon, typically seen only in far northern latitudes like Alaska or Scandinavia, is making its way unusually far south due to a solar storm classified as a G4 (severe) event. Portland is well within the potential visibility range, and with mostly clear skies forecasted, the timing couldn’t be better. The aurora happens when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth's upper atmosphere, producing brilliant displays of color that ripple and dance across the night sky. A recent coronal mass ejection, or CME, has significantly amplified this effect. Scientists had been monitoring this solar activity closely, and the current storm is strong enough to push the aurora’s reach as far south as Northern California—and even parts of the southern U.S.—some...